Aiming to consolidate opposition forces in Tamil Nadu, a state it has struggled to make a mark in, the BJP is seriously exploring an alliance with actor-politician Vijay's TVK, sources have said.
Addressing a core committee meeting during his visit to the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also urged the party to focus on winning and not just putting up a fight in the Assembly elections later this year. This is significant because the party won only four of the state's 234 seats in 2021 and could not open its account in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Sources said the BJP leader also deliberately did not meet Edappadi K Palaniswami, also known as EPS, the head of ally AIADMK, to send out the message that the NDA must bring together all anti-DMK forces.
The sources said the BJP is actively exploring the possibility of a tie-up with Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which has been positioning itself as an alternative political force in Tamil Nadu. The saffron party's efforts have gathered pace after the TVK said last week that it would be natural allies with the Congress because of the parties' focus on secularism.
"The Congress and TVK are natural allies in terms of secularism and their stand against communalism. In that sense, we have always been natural partners. Rahul Gandhi and our leader are also friends. There are many possibilities for the Congress and TVK to ally. However, as I see it, the personal interests, possibly business or financial interests, of the current Tamil Nadu Congress committee leadership, may be preventing them from initiating a dialogue with TVK," party spokesperson Felix Gerard said.
This push for a possible alliance with the TVK ties into what Shah told party leaders at a core committee on Sunday. Seeking individual feedback from every leader on ground sentiment and alliance possibilities, the Home minister signalled that decisions would be driven by electoral math and not sentiment.
In the same vein, he also said that the electoral battle should be between the NDA and the DMK and not a personality-driven contest. To speed up preparations, Shah asked leaders to begin early candidate identification and work towards a grand alliance framework by Pongal, which is on January 14.
EPS Signal
The decision that Shah would not meet EPS, sources said, was also taken to send out the message that the BJP wants to move fast and leave no space unoccupied in Tamil Nadu's opposition politics.
"The idea was to emphasise that the NDA cannot be limited by one party or one leader, and must bring together all anti-DMK forces - from AMMK and PMK to leaders disgruntled within the AIADMK ecosystem," said a BJP leader.
